What Car : Wife Edition

OK my wife wants a new car (currently in a b5 a4) that admittedly is ready to move on. I still like driving it, but things are breaking, interior wise, and oil and coolant (sometimes!) vanish. She wants, small SUV, 4x4/AWD, auto, that can take a curb (clearance wise), gets out of its own way when trying to pass (if anyone has driven a b5 a4 wiht the auto you will understand the trans is SLOW to shift). And with headlights that don't look "angry"

My List:

CX-5 (car and driver gives it good reviews)

CrossTrek

Forester (New ones having issues? She doesn't seem to like it anyway)

Q3/5 (probably out of my price range!)

maybe:

Rav4

CRV

Rogue



I'm not too sold on the USDM offerings, drove an equinox, it was very meh, and haven't done any Kia/Hyundai (but hear they are way better than they used to be). Id like to get a list together and have her go drive them all. Something will be bought in the next 6 months or so most likely.

Hive mind, give me suggestions!

i was looking in a similar market and decided if we were to get anything it would be a ford edge. they are leaps and bounds nicer than any of the gm offerings, and i was not impressed with the jeep stuff by any stretch of the imagination.

John chiming in with "please consider a minivan" comments in 3...2...1...

If considering small CUV's, the new Lincoln MKC seems to get solid reviews as well.

My first thought was Q5, since she likes her Audi. They are spendy though.

I have friends who are very happy with the CX-5, and we love our 6, which is basically the chopped and channeled version. Or the CX is the over inflated version of the 6. whatever.

patgizz wrote: i was looking in a similar market and decided if we were to get anything it would be a ford edge. they are leaps and bounds nicer than any of the gm offerings, and i was not impressed with the jeep stuff by any stretch of the imagination. John chiming in with "please consider a minivan" comments in 3...2...1...

The Ford/Gm stuff I have driven recently was still very 'plasticy' if that makes sense. I can add edge to the list if it was good...

She will say ABSOLUTELY no to a minivan, 99% no to a wagon (MIL has one....) and doesnt like the jeeps when we talked about them, too boxy I guess.

In reply to xflowgolf:

MKC doesn't look bad! Ill ask about it, might get a no to Lincoln.

I too like the Q5/3 but $$$, maybe CPO. They are nice....

I've had an EcoBoost Edge a couple of times as a rental, and it was a very competent highway cruiser, and it was in "Platinum" trim level with lots of interior and exterior toys. Might be slightly plus size relative to your desires though.

Though it was labeled EcoBoost, you couldn't tell whether it was the I-4 or V-6 by opening the hood-- all you see is plastic. As a rental, I'm sure it was the I-4.

Not sure I'm a fan of the electronic LCD instrument panel layout and the formats it could be switched through, but that seems to be how things are going these days.

Buddy of mine has an MKC (I think? The smaller one...) with the 2.3 Ecoboost. I have to say it's pretty darn nice to ride in, even though it is a type of car I would never want. Seems to have plenty of ooomph, too.

If size is an issue, we prefer the Escape to the Edge. We've had both, and for one or two people, the Escape is a better size. The Edge was great, don't get me wrong, but the more modern Escape is better for us.

You can get a 2.0l turbo that is darned quick. We had one of those, but with the less towing, we now have a 1.6 turbo. Much better mileage with it.

For the most part, other than the trim between the MKC and the Escape, they are the same. BUT you can get a 2.3 turbo in the MKC. A little more grunt there.

Realistically, of your list- none of them are bad choices. It's your wife's car, not yours- take her out and look at them all. Figure out which one she likes the best that you can deal with owning.

Duke wrote: Buddy of mine has an MKC (I think? The smaller one...) with the 2.3 Ecoboost. I have to say it's pretty darn nice to ride in, even though it is a type of car I would never want. Seems to have plenty of ooomph, too.

For those keeping score- MKC is the small one (Escape), MKX is the middle one (Edge), and MKT is the big one (Flex).

Inlaws just got a Sorento FWD. Great package, lots of room and they averaged 32mpg from Tucson, through Indy, to the east coast then back this summer. If thats a little too large, the Sportage is a bit smaller. Both fantastic vehicles.

To even make the comment "I hear they are better than they used to be" means you haven't even looked at their products in 10+ years. They've been as good or better than the Japanese for some time.

alfadriver wrote:

Duke wrote: Buddy of mine has an MKC (I think? The smaller one...) with the 2.3 Ecoboost. I have to say it's pretty darn nice to ride in, even though it is a type of car I would never want. Seems to have plenty of ooomph, too.

For those keeping score- MKC is the small one (Escape), MKX is the middle one (Edge), and MKT is the big one (Flex).

This is purely not contributing to the conversation, but if I owned Ford, I'd fire the entire group at Lincoln that came up with their naming system 10 or 15 years ago. "An Mk what?"

To add a contribution, I kinda like the Fords myself. The Edge appeals, if I were looking for something like that.

Reading the first post I was thinking Edge. Nice to see I wasn't alone.

Brothers' GF has a new Tucson, I've driven it and don't much care for it. It feels "flimsy", something like the Edge has a much greater feel of solidity to me.

java230 wrote: I'm not too sold on the USDM offerings, drove an equinox, it was very meh

Good call on avoiding the Equinox. They are some evil, unreliable junk. I'm kind of a fan of the Crosstrek myself but I have no real experience with any of them

OK so it looks like Escape and Edge should be added to the list. I do think the Edge will be too large, she wants little, but wiht 4 doors.

And yes I haven't looked at Kia/Hyndai in forever.

NickD wrote:

java230 wrote: I'm not too sold on the USDM offerings, drove an equinox, it was very meh

Good call on avoiding the Equinox. They are some evil, unreliable junk. I'm kind of a fan of the Crosstrek myself but I have no real experience with any of them

I like the CrossTrek too, gotta drive one tho, they are pretty small (and CVT only IIRC)

java230 wrote:

NickD wrote:

java230 wrote: I'm not too sold on the USDM offerings, drove an equinox, it was very meh

Good call on avoiding the Equinox. They are some evil, unreliable junk. I'm kind of a fan of the Crosstrek myself but I have no real experience with any of them

I like the CrossTrek too, gotta drive one tho, they are pretty small (and CVT only IIRC)

CVT or 5-speed manual, but I recall you said auto-only. But I've heard that Subaru has one of the better CVTs out there. AVO makes a turbo kit for the CrossTrek that I think would make a hilarious little offroad buggy

I was in the same boat about a year or so ago, and we drove practically all the smaller SUVs out there. In the end it was down to the CRV (wife had an '03 already) and a RAV4. In the end the RAV4 won. It was somewhat close in terms of the CRV, but miles ahead of all others in the class. I might have chosen something else personally, but as a transportation device it was heads and shoulders above the rest in terms of the way it drove, niceness of the interior materials, and reliability. The Toyota dealer also treated my wife the nicest, something that did not go unnoticed by her.

In the end she spent weeks going over reviews and technical data. One thing I've learned being married, you can give your wife advice, but by god let her make her own car choices.

racerdave600 wrote: One thing I've learned being married, you can give your wife advice, but by god let her make her own car choices.

QFT!

But she wants to get some input on where to start, hence this thread.

I wish they hadn't done away with the spare on the rear door, a little lift and some tires makes it look WAY better.

Consider an All4 Mini Countryman or in 2016...

the All4 Clubman for a bit more room in the back. Sub-7 second 0-60, can be had with a stick, handles much better than any CUV or cute-ute and has a style factor that she might dig.

Right?

Right? You want one...

Thanks honey, this thing rocks!

You can even take it camping!